“And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner,” Exodus 17:15
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Francis Bellamy
WHAT MAKES A “NATION“?
I did not remember the difference between a “country” and a “nation” until reminded recently by a talk radio host. One of my most trusty writing resources is a dictionary, so I looked up the two words.
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Third Edition, tells us:
country 1. an area of land; region [wooded country] 2. the whole land or territory of a nation or state
nation 1. a stable, historically developed community of people with a territory, economic life, distinctive culture, and language in common 2. the people of a territory united under a single government; country
[state 6. [usually S-] any of the territorial and political units that together constitute a federal government, as in the U.S.]
A “country” generally refers to the aspects of a nation defined by its physical land and borders. The “nation” is the people united by common economics, culture, and language within those borders. I will add, united by destiny.
The United States of America is a Nation historically speaking a common language, living a distinctive culture in an economic life with origins in free market – laissez faire – capitalism, who’s territory is defined by physical borders. Her destiny: “…A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14. Her light shines all-around for all to see and take heart!
“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal….” Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address [See full text in the Historical Documents section.]
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WHAT DEFINES AND PRESERVES A “NATION”?
Talk Radio Host, Michael Savage, has coined a slogan to describe the foundational characteristics of America – and any other nation: BORDERS LANGUAGE CULTURE
What does his slogan have to do with the success and longevity of a nation?
Nations are not a new concept invented by Modern America. From the Dawn of Creation, Mankind has melded into societal units varying in size from two to over 1.3 billion people. These unities – couples, families, cities, nations – live together in social compacts by choice, for a common goal. (A country who’s inhabitants are united by force may be a historically developed community, but it did not enter it’s social compact by choice.)
WHEN GOD CREATED the first couple, Adam and Eve, He, “…blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…’ “ Genesis 1:28
God set their borders: the ends of the earth were defined for man, in Adam. As a couple – a unity – they represented all who would come after them. They had an economic life: work and keep the garden of Eden; a distinctive culture: cleaving to one another, they knew God; a common language: they heard and spoke with God; and they were of a territory – the whole earth. United under a single government – God was their Government. He set the righteous and just law under which they were Free to exercise the Liberty He created them to enjoy.
Disobedience to the law brought just punishment and the couple was sent out from Eden, “…to work the ground from which he was taken…. and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:23, 24
Adam and Eve still had a territory: the whole earth, except for the garden of Eden. God set a new border around His territory, the garden, and man was not allowed to cross over it. Man had chosen his nation – in rebellion against God. And God removed him and locked him out of His Own, “Righteous Nation”, because man was not willing to live by his Sovereign LORD’s law – His “Culture”. There were now two distinct Nations on Earth.
Adam had chosen a new culture based in sin (evil): the opposite of God’s righteousness. He now had a new economic life: “…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;…By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground,…” Genesis 3:17-19. And, he lived with Eve in a new country; did he no longer commune, in a common language, with God? He had a new destiny: “…you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19
Man was now a new nation, foreign to the one he had rejected: new economic life, new language in silence to God, new culture, new territory, and new destiny. He no longer belonged in the garden he had enjoyed in God’s Presence.
Only God could lift Man’s Banishment from the garden and the tree of life. Until He did, the cherubim and the flaming sword would guard the way, and when the way was again opened by the Son of Man, only the redeemed could enter. God set the condition upon which men from without His borders could enter Eternal Life, in His Presence.
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THE HEART OF AMERICA
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,…” The unanimous Declaration of Independence of the thirteen united States of America [See full text in the Historical Documents section.]
Thomas Jefferson writing those words in collaboration with other Founding Fathers of our Nation, anticipated a document that would establish a new General Government for those States. Both the Declaration and the Constitution, were written with great care to ensure no misunderstanding could be logically and reasonably drawn from them. [See full text of the Constitution in the Historical Documents section.]
Many people were reluctant to ratify the Constitution because they saw a great need: the Rights referenced in the Declaration must be written-out and ratified, to guarantee the General Government would be shackled against violating the God-given Rights of the Sovereign People. They insisted upon a, “Bill of Rights”. [See full text in the Historical Documents section.]
They were thus gravely concerned that the Nation they were legally establishing among the nations of the world, be recognized as a Nation founded upon the Common Law: derived from the Ten Commandments of the Holy Bible. And, paramount to that establishment, was the plain and endurable fact that America is a Nation of Free and Sovereign People historically constrained by God to be a righteous and just Nation in the exercise of the God-given Liberty that sets Her apart from all the rest of the nations.
“…and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants.” Leviticus 25:10
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WELCOME, LEGAL IMMIGRANTS!!!
Just as God set the righteous example by defining the borders of the garden of Eden against unlawful encroachment by those who would misuse Liberty, America has the God-given Right and Duty – as do all nations – to define Her borders and parameters for the foreign nationals allowed to enter: who, how many, for what purposes, and for how long. All other nations of the world seek strict adherence to their own immigration laws!
Why do foreign nationals entering a Nation without regard for its Immigration Law threaten the very core of that Nation? History has long shown that a nation without control of the flow of immigrants will be subverted over time from the common economic life, common language, common culture, and common destiny. Her protective borders will be breached! Her Liberty perverted – transformed into Tyranny! She will cease to exist as a Free Nation!
This does NOT mean there’s no value in the diversity of New Arrivals! Lest anyone erroneously charge me with “politically-correct” accusations of racism or being “anti-immigrant”, desiring to preserve my Nation is patriotism, and that’s a good thing in any nation!
Legal New Arrivals filled with a deep desire to leave their origins behind to become Americans REVITALIZE the Nation!!! They are already Americans at heart!
It does mean: if immigrants are allowed to flood the Nation in great numbers, whether “legally” or “illegally”, the economic, language, cultural, and infra structures necessary to the continued existence and destiny of the nation will be undermined and toppled. The sheer force of great numbers will also incline many immigrants toward focusing solely upon economic life in their new home.
Rather than assimilating into the culture of Liberty that produced America, along with the economic and personal freedoms that originally called them to leave their native country, they become disinclined to adopt the established common language and culture. Such people will always feel an umbilical cord tugging on them to return to their birth country. They will find it impossible, then, to form a true and permanent bond in their new nation. [It is against this possibility that the Founders included the REQUIREMENT for the President to be a “natural born Citizen” – history has defined this term over the centuries: BOTH PARENTS must be Citizens when the child is born – no matter the country of his physical birth! Or he is NOT a “natural born Citizen”!]
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“PEACEFUL” TRANSFORMERS?
Those who come to America intending to transform Her from the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, into an unrecognizable changeling, would only force upon Her the tyranny that exists in any Nation not Free to exercise God-given Liberty.
America is, indeed, exceptional among the nations!
However, perspective is important; I remember that millions of my Fellow-American Indians were decimated, as the “Legal Citizens” of the Indian Nations were overrun by invading foreign nationals – “illegal immigrants” – with their lethal Smallpox Virus and “modern” weaponry!!! The Land was transformed… [Under Menu Tab: Poetry & Song Lyrics, see, “If Mankind Is Meant To LIVE…” ]
BUT, God was faithful to His promise: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
There is insidious danger to the life of our nation when millions of foreign nationals cross our borders illegally; when immigration laws are designed to feed the flood of excess numbers of “legal” immigrants – e.g. “chain migration”; “anchor baby” laws purport to instantly confer citizenship upon the children of foreign nationals – legal or illegal. History has long-defined their status as citizens of the parents’ country, requiring naturalization along with the parents. No nation desiring to survive has ever been so foolish!
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WE MUST HEED THE WARNINGS!!!
The nations of Europe are bellwethers of the dangers in allowing too many immigrants who do not intend to assimilate – rather to occupy, and who demand, and the nations accede, special privileges, their own incompatible laws and enclaves, within these nations. Such demands are being heard even now, in America, Herself! And, some communities here have acceded!!!
Wisely constructed immigration laws are necessary to the survival of a nation. They must be enforced! Those who violate them must be deported, either forcibly, or by self-deportation: through enforced border security, prohibition against hiring illegals, stopping all economic subsidies to illegals – with true medical emergencies the exception, recognizing that no person in the country illegally has a RIGHT to stay here. (Just as Americans have NO RIGHT to enter, or overstay, illegally in another country!) Nor do they have a RIGHT to any form of amnesty! Amnesty by sheer force of numbers, and to promote Fundamental Transformation of Our REPUBLIC, must not be allowed!
Immigrants who come here legally – many after waiting years for the privilege – are victims of the flood of illegals, who should never be favored over them!
Any person present in any country illegally is an “illegal alien”, by definition.
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“…influence is no government.” George Washington
By influence of political correctness, as defined by Statist, Collectivist/Progressives, our Nation is being perverted and transformed into tyranny. It is no proper government for a Nation, under God!
Itasca Small